Blind Date
by kbecks41319
Summary: Lanie talks Castle into letting her set him up on a date with a certain Detective. Nervous does not even begin to explain how he feels. But was the date all Lanie's doing or did she have a little help?
1. Chapter 1

"She's going to kill me."

"Not if she kills me first, then she won't know you were ever involved."

"Involved? Hell, she's going to know when I'm sitting there waiting for her."

"No, she won't - if you let me handle this and just chill."

"Right, chill. Chill when someone is planning or going to be planning my murder. Sure."

Rolling her eyes, Lanie turned away from the body she was examining and looked at the poor man. He was running his fingers through his hair repeatedly, making his brown locks stick up every which way. She would find it adorable if she wasn't so worried about him pulling his own hair out.

"She won't kill you, she likes you too much."

This brought a smirk to his face, his insides in knots.

"I doubt that, you should've heard some of the threats."

"Please, honey, they are just that. Threats. She would much rather just ri-"

She broke off, clamping her mouth shut as her eyes widened slightly and she turned to glance at the writer. Hoping he hadn't heard that, she cleared her throat slightly and turned back to her body before speaking. "Never mind, just know she won't kill you. Okay?"

Luckily he was too worried about what might happen if she did, in fact, find out that he had helped set this all up.

"Right, okay. Okay. I'm going to go. She doesn't know I'm here and that would just be awkward and then she might actually kill me, or worse, and I just don't think I could handle having to watch over my shoulders waiting for her-"

"Castle," Lanie spoke sternly, having moved from the body to where he was to nudge his shoulder as to not touch him with the bloody glove she was wearing. Giving him a soft look, she managed a small smile as she nodded towards the door. "Go. Lord knows you could sit here all night and come up with things that she could possibly do to you. Stop worrying."

Seeming to come to his senses he gave her a grin and grabbed her by the shoulders as he spoke, "If this works out I owe you. If it doesn't, you'll probably be autopsying me soon. Just spare Alexis the bloody details."

He pressed a light kiss to the ME's forehead and turned on the spot, exiting the morgue and heading for the elevator. He had only a few hours to get everything together and hope that it went smoothly. Knowing he could trust Lanie, he forced himself to relax as he stepped inside the small compartment before leaning against the wall.

"Lanie better hope she knows what she's doing," he muttered to himself before straightening up. He was ready to face the music, or lack there of.

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_Reviews make me a better person. Seriously, I love reviews. Please let me know if I should continue, x3_


	2. Chapter 2

"Castle!" Beckett's voice echoed through the precinct causing half of the room to turn in her direction, the other half focusing on the writer who was trying to slip into the break room.

He stopped mid step, his heart plummeting somewhere down south of his stomach as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Holding it, he counted to three before turning around and looking at the woman who was waiting for him to respond.

"Beckett," he responded shortly, waiting patiently for her to eat him alive. She found out. She had to know. Of course she knew, she was Beckett and a detective who was very good at her job.

She was staring at him funny, a smirk on her lips as she approached him slowly, fully aware that the whole room was staring at either one of them. He was being quiet, avoiding her even and while she wanted to know why, that was not why she had called out to him. With a devious glint in her eye, she held out his phone.

"Alexis called, something about Martha and your credit card. It did not sound good."

Castle let out the breath he had been holding, his hand going out to catch the phone that she was handing over.

"Alexis. Right," he murmured as his brain raced to catch up. "I'll just.. Go call her back."

He gave her a quick smile and slipped into the break room, heading to the farthest corner as he pretended to mess with his phone. He had no intentions of actually calling his daughter back in his state, she wouldn't know what to make of him. Feeling Beckett's eyes on him, he turned his back to her and fiddled with his phone some more. She needed to go back to her desk.

Before he could start to think of how to defuse the awkward situation, he heard a door open quickly followed by the shuffling of feet - feet that certainly did not belong to his partner.

"Yo, Castle." Relief flooded through him as he heard Esposito's voice, allowing him to turn around and stare at the man who was accompanied by his own partner. "Bro, what did you do to Beckett and why is she grinning like she found the answer to life?"

His eyes flashed with fear before he shrugged, leaning against the wall. "She just gave me my phone because Alexis called, I was downstairs talking to Lanie.."

It was a moment too late that he realized his mistake as both Esposito's and Ryan's eyes lit up with this new piece of information.

"You agreed to it, didn't you?" Esposito's arms were crossed in front of him, making him look even more intimidating.

"Oh, please. Tell me you did, Castle," Ryan said with a slight whine to his voice, picking up the cup of coffee Esposito had abandoned.

Clearing his throat and regaining most of his composure, he gave the two a grin and shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea what either of you are talking about."

"You did! He did! Finally. You owe me fifty bucks," Ryan's blue eyes were shinning brightly as he turned to Esposito who was staring at Castle in disbelief.

"I never thought you'd agree to it, bro," he grumbled as he dug his wallet out of his back pocket. Quickly giving his partner the money he owed him, he turned his attention back to the writer.

"She doesn't know?"

Castle shook his head, walking over to them now to stand in front of the coffee machine. He knew that Beckett would be waiting for her cup and he would need his own to keep on his toes.

"And she won't find out," he informed the two, giving them a look. "Not only will she kill me, but Lanie might very well kill you two for ruining this."

The two partners held their hands up at that, a grin on both of their faces.

"I'm not getting on Lanie's bad side," Ryan said quickly.

"Me either," Esposito agreed, grabbing the cup Castle set down. "Thanks, bro."

Knowing it would be a lost attempt to get the coffee back, he just let the two walk away as he went about making another. He still needed to call Alexis and figure out what exactly his mother had done that had earned him a phone call.

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

"You're seriously not going to tell me?"

"No, girl, that is why it's call a _blind date_."

Beckett could practically hear Lanie's eyes roll over the phone, something that amused the detective greatly.

"Not even just a small hint? Or just his name?"

"I'll be over tonight after work to help you get ready."

With that the ME on the other line hung up, leaving Kate to stare blankly at her computer with the phone propped oddly against her ear. Although she had a fairly good idea who her date was, she wasn't sure. She could never be sure with Lanie. That was just one of the many reasons while she loved her friend.

"Coffee for milady," Castle gave her that perfect grin as he sat her normal cup of coffee in front of her, taking residence in his seat. He seemed to have recovered from his earlier moment of awkwardness, something that intrigued her. Giving him a small smile in thanks, she sat her phone down and grabbed her coffee.

"Everything alright at the Castle home?" Her eyebrow quirked up as she took a sip of her coffee, turning her body towards him. She, for once, was caught up on paper work. The only reason she was there was because she wasn't ready to go home to an empty apartment.

"Mmm, Mother has apparently went out and bought half of the city according to Alexis. Something about an epiphany she had and how it's going to change all of our lives." He shrugged now, his eyes only meeting hers for the briefest of moments.

She nodded, accepting this as a plausible Martha thing. "Well, if you need to go home and deal with that then you can. I'm all caught up on paper work and unless we get a case, I'll be heading home here soon. I'm just waiting for Lanie to finish her last body."

With the mention of the ME's name, Castle squirmed in his seat - a small fact that Beckett tucked away, amused by his reaction. Tapping her fingers against the coffee cup, she leaned back in the chair and crossing her legs.

"Actually I was told to inform you that you needed to stop by the loft, orders via Martha and Alexis." He shrugged, obviously not knowing much more himself.

Glancing at her watch, she put down her coffee and nodded as she stood up. "Let's go. I've got plans tonight and I don't intend on being late."

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_Two chapters in one night? You should feel honored. I've never did this before. I hope you enjoy. Reviews make me a better writer, x3_


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: I am not a dress kind of girl. I don't wear dresses and I know zilch about them. So, when describing the dress later, please don't hold it against me if I wasn't very.. Specific. Also, excuse any OOC-ness that occurs in this chapter. It needed to happen.**

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"There is no way you will ever get me to try a smorlette. That sounds absolutely repulsive."

"Oh come on, Beckett. It is delicious." Castle grinned, pushing the button for his floor as they stepped inside the elevator.

"That's why Alexis won't eat it, hm?" Beckett's eyebrow shot up, her gaze resting on him.

"My daughter has.. Refined taste when it comes to breakfast." He shrugged as he leaned against the wall, his eyes lingering on her.

Beckett laughed, nodding. "Right. She just doesn't want to end up in the hospital with some kind of food poisoning because of your concoctions."

Clutching his heart, Castle feigned hurt. "Detective, you wound me."

With a roll of her eyes and a ding of the elevator, Beckett stepped out and headed for Castle's loft. Having been over more times than she would like to admit, she wasn't about to wait for him. This was probably the hundredth time that he had tried to talk her into having a smorlette and while she was intrigued, she would never try one. After hearing Alexis describe it once before, she was revolted at the idea. Realizing that he wasn't following her, she turned and looked back.

"Coming, Castle?"

That was all it took to have him throwing himself out of the elevator towards her, a smile coming to her lips. She watched as he walked around her and went straight to the door, unlocking it and walking in. She followed in after him glancing around, her mouth dropping open as the air escaped her lungs. Blinking slowly, she glanced at her partner.

"Remember, if you kill your mother I will have to take you in, no matter how justifiable the murder is."

Despite the situation, Castle couldn't help but smile as he tossed his coat on the couch, gazing around at all the shopping bags. Having heard the two come in, Martha and Alexis made their entrance on the stairs.

"Dad!" Alexis yelped in surprise, hurrying over to her father to guide him to the chair that was not covered in bags. "I swear, Grams picked me up after she had done all the shopping." Biting her lip, she gave Martha a quick smile as if to apologize before looking down at her dad who had yet to say a word. "Dad, you okay?"

Beckett wasn't sure whether she wanted to laugh or run from the look on Castle's face but she figured she was already there so she made her way farther into the room and perched herself on the edge of the couch arm.

"Oh, Richard, stop being so dramatic. It's not as bad as it looks." Martha rolled her eyes at her son making her way over to Beckett, taking the younger woman's hands in hers. "Dear, it is so nice to see you."

At this the detective smiled warmly at Martha, nodding. "It's nice to see you as well. Castle said Alexis and you wanted me to come over?"

"That we did," Martha said with a twinkle in her eye, glancing at the younger Castle. "Alexis has a surprise up in her room for you. I think I'll go try to get my son out of this state." With a simple wink of the eye, the older diva patted Beckett's hand and walked over to Castle while Alexis traded places with her grams.

"Come on, I'm so excited for you to see what Grams got!" Alexis grabbed Beckett's hand, forgetting the invisible boundaries she had set for them, and pulled her up from the couch leaving the detective no choice but to be dragged upstairs with a fleeting last glance at Castle.

Feeling as if the youngest Castle was about to yank her arm out of socket, she was relieved as they reached her room. Although she was a little skeptic about what was in store for her, she played a good sport and stepped inside the room as Alexis closed the door. Raising her signature eyebrow, she studied the redhead with the gaze she normally reserved for suspects.

"What's going on here, Alexis?"

Taking a deep breathe, Alexis gave the detective a big grin and starting walking back and forth. "Grams, as you know, went a little crazy shopping today and while she was at it she got me some really neat outfits and also she got you a couple of things. But before you go and say no and tell me that you can't take them, I'm going to go ahead and tell you that Grams will refuse to take them back and they will sit in the back of my closet until I'm old enough to fit them or until dad gets fed up with them and gives them away or something. Also, if you don't take them, it will hurt Grams feelings."

This all came out in one long breath, something that had a small grin forming on Beckett's lips as she took in everything the younger one said. She had every intention of kindly refusing the gifts but upon hearing the rest of Alexis' speech, she frowned.

"What all, exactly, did she get me?" She asked this tentatively, hoping that Martha didn't go too over the top. She knew that poor Castle was probably having heart problems down in the living room.

Accepting this as a form of yes, Alexis grinned from ear to ear as she bounded over to her closet pulling out three dresses that were hidden inside jackets and two more outfits, quickly followed by three boxes of shoes from the floor. She brought them over to her bed, laying the dresses out carefully before placing the shoes on her pillows and other outfits next to them. With a child-like glee that she could have only gotten from her father, she turned back to Beckett.

"I know you're probably thinking, 'that's too much' but really it's not. Grams does this at least once every six months, I'm not sure why dad is so shocked. Of course, this is the worst it has been in a while but still." Seeing the hesitation still on the older woman's face, she grabbed the middle dress and pushed it into her hands. "You have to try this on before you say no, okay?"

Knowing that she couldn't deny the young redhead anything, Beckett took the dress and quietly excused herself to the bathroom. Curious about the dress, it didn't take her long to hang it up on the back of the door and quickly pull down the zipper of the jacket. A quiet gasp escaped her lips as the dark blue dress escaped the bag that was holding it, the purple mesh mesmerizing her. Her fingers brushed delicately over the fabric, her heart fluttering madly.

Quickly she pulled her hair up and started to undress, eager now to try the dress on. Neatly folding her clothes she set them aside and slipped into the slim dress before realizing she'd need someone to zip it up. Opening the bathroom door she glanced around the hallway and dashed into Alexis' bedroom, obviously startling the young girl.

"Zip me up?" Beckett grinned at the younger girl, turning on her spot and waiting patiently. She could feel Alexis' fingers trembling as she zipped the dress up carefully.

"You look gorgeous, Detective."

Turning around, Beckett glanced at the mirror that was hanging on Alexis' closet door. The dark blue fabric clung to every inch of her, the neckline plunging deep enough to show her mother's ring that was hanging there. Taking her quietness as a sign that she liked it, Alexis peeked over her shoulder with a grin on her lips.

"Can I please fix your hair and make up? I know you probably want to take it off but I just bought this new eye shadow the other day and it would go so good with this dress!"

Glancing at her father's watch that still rested on her wrist, she saw that she had a few hours before she had to get ready for her blind date and silently nodded giving Alexis the go ahead. The youngest Castle was just way too excited and Beckett didn't think she could bring herself to tell her no, even if she secretly didn't want to get out of the dress.

"Don't go too crazy, alright?" Beckett's voice was almost shy as Alexis directed her over to the chair in front of her desk, turning her around to face her.

Eyes that were almost identical to her father's glinted as she smiled, nodding. "Just trust me, detective." And with that, Beckett leaned back as she closed her eyes, trusting the girl.

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_Remember, reviews make me a better writer :3 Hope you enjoy this, Marissa!_


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not have a Beta, therefor any mistakes I make are my own.**

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"Mother, why are you so worried about Beckett catching you getting dinner ready?"

Castle's eyes fluttered to his mother who stood in the kitchen checking on the oven. When he had came in, he had not realized there was a strong smell going through the loft but now he did. It smelled delicious, leaving him to believe that Alexis had helped a bit - or a lot.

"Just because, now go change into something presentable."

She flicked a spoon at him, glaring in his direction for only a moment.

"Why?" He stomped his foot in a childish way, staring down at his outfit. What wasn't presentable about it? He had on a nice suit, his usual clothing for going to the precinct.

"Listen to your mother, boy, and put on your dark blue tie."

With one last glance at her, he headed towards his room. He had no patience to question her sudden need to boss him around. He needed to get ready for the date that Lanie had set up anyways, which now he realized he had forgotten to tell his mom and daughter about. He stopped where he was and turned to his mom.

"I forgot to tell you I'm going out tonight, so don't worry about making me a plate."

He didn't wait to see her reaction, missing the eye rolling that she sent in his direction, as he made his way quickly to his room. Once there, he closed his door and started to go through his closet.

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

"Alexis, I really have to go. I have plans tonight."

Beckett fidgeted in her seat, itching to open her eyes and see just what the girl had done to her.

"Hold on, you smudged your lip gloss."

Feeling something touch her lip for the briefest of moments she fought the urge to swat it away knowing it was Alexis' hand.

"Alright, done."

Slowly opening her eyes, Beckett looked up at the smirking redhead - something that didn't quite comfort her. Turning in the chair, she allowed herself the first look of how she had been recreated.

"Wow," was all she managed before she heard the ringing of her phone. Tearing her gaze away from the mirror, she looked around the room quickly. "Shoot, I left it in the bathroom."

Standing up quickly she jerked to a stop as Alexis held her hands up, looking down at her.

"Stay. I'll get it."

Before she could object the girl was out the door, only to return a few moments later holding the phone out.

"I answered it so it wouldn't go to voicemail, it's Lanie."

"Thanks," the brunette said quietly as she took the phone and pressed it to her ear. "Are you off from work yet?"

"Hello to you, too," Lanie said dryly. "Bad news, I'm not going to be able to make it off of work in time."

"You set this whole thing up and now you're not going to be able to help me get ready?" She frowned, rubbing her temple.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. And remember, just have fun."

Before she could respond her friend disconnected the phone call, leaving her to stare blankly at the mirror. Why Beckett was so worried, she didn't know but now she had to figure out what exactly she was going to wear. Remembering where she was, she turned to Alexis and gave the girl a small smile.

"I really have to go now, Lanie was supposed to help me get ready for my date tonight but she can't get away from work in time and I have no idea what I'm even going to wea-"

Beckett cut herself off at the pointed stare Alexis was giving her, her own eyes slowly wondering down to the dress she was wearing. Mentally slapping herself, she gave the girl a suspicious look as she crossed her arms.

"You planned this," she simply stated.

The grin was back on Alexis' lips as she quickly turned to the bed and picked out a pair of shoes. Handing them to Beckett, she perched herself on the edge of her bed and waited for the detective to try them on.

"I can not believe this," Beckett murmured, sitting back down in the chair she had previously been in. "Okay, I can. You are so your father's daughter."

"I'm taking that as a compliment for now," Alexis grinned as she leaned back on her arms.

Rolling her eyes, Beckett took the shoes out of the box and could not suppress the grin that came next.

"You talked your Grams into this, didn't you?"

When she received the nod from the redhead she nodded in return, slipping her feet into the shoes finding they were an exact fit. She had to admit, the girl had really thought all of this out.

"Does your dad know?"

At this, Alexis grinned even more and shook her head. "No and, please, don't tell him. He'll just get all grumpy that I interfered when I promised I wouldn't." She bit her lip at this, glancing at her feet. "Not that we talk about you."

The blush on Beckett's cheeks burned as she ducked her head, standing up and twirling on her spot.

"Think he'll approve?"

She was a bundle of nerves, not fully letting her mind register that it was Castle that her date was. She knew that once she did that she would start trying to talk herself out of it, scared of the outcome.

"If he doesn't, we can ship him off to Alaska with no clothes." Scrunching her nose up at the mental image she had just made for herself, she shook her head.

"Thank you, Alexis," the detective spoke quietly, her anxiety showing now.

"It was no problem, honestly. I was just a bit surprised when Dr. Parish agreed to help me out. Plus, everyone else already knows how you two feel. You just.. Need a push. So, when dad told me that Josh and you had broken up I figured I'd take the chance."

"Lanie would be one of the first people to ever agree to this," Beckett smirked as she realized just how much her emotions were showing. Clearing her throat, she glanced at her hair in the mirror. Pointing at it, she looked at Alexis in the reflection.

"Want to do something about this mess?"

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

"Richard, please stop fussing with your hair. It looks fine."

"Mother, go away." After a moments pause, he gave her a small smile in the mirror before adding, "Please."

"I will go," she said as she turned dramatically towards the door. "But you look fine, darling."

As he watched her retreating back, he started to mentally go over how he would explain this all to Beckett. She was a smart woman and would surely figure it all out, not once believing that Lanie had set them both up. She would just know, like she always did. Running his fingers through his hair one more time, he forced himself away from the bathroom mirror and headed for the kitchen.

Finding the kitchen empty, his eyes traveled to the dining room table that was set for two. Not paying much attention to it, he moved to the living to find his mother standing in front of the entertainment center.

"What are you looking for?"

"Richard!" She jumped, turning to look at her son while clutching her heart. "You can't scare an old lady like that, might give them a heart attack."

"So dramatic, mother." He rolled his eyes and crossed the room to stand beside her, quickly scanning the selection of music she was looking at. "Romantic evening for Alexis and you?"

With a smirk, Martha shook her head. "Alexis and I will be dining out tonight, this is for your date."

His attention snapped to his mother, catching the smirk on her lips as she returned to gazing at the music. Slowly, everything clicked into place as he leaned against the wall. "Oh," was all he said as his heart started to race.

"She's a smart girl, Richard. Knows how to get what she wants. Don't let her know you know until later, she doesn't want you to know for some odd reason."

"That would be because I told her not to get in the middle of it," he stated quietly as he looked at his mother.

"She's your daughter, what did you expect? Her to listen?" She scoffed at the idea, finally choosing the right play list and queuing it up. "You should have known better. She loves you and wants you to be happy."

As she patted his shoulder, she took him by the arm and directed him to the kitchen. He kept his mouth shut as he sensed that his mother was not through.

"The wine is in the fridge, and it's not the cheap stuff. The food is ready and waiting in the oven for when you are ready. The matches for the candles are on the windowsill by the table. And," she glanced at her watch before smiling, "it is time for Alexis and I to go. Good luck, even though you don't need it."

She kissed his cheek before he could say anything and headed over to the foot of the stares, calling up. "Alexis! Time to go, we're going to be late."

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

Upstairs, Alexis turned towards the door for a second before returning her attention back to the nervous detective standing in front of her. Giving her a encouraging smile, she gathered her coat and purse.

"You look gorgeous, Kate, really. Don't worry. Everything will be fine. If not, remember, Alaska." With a quick squeeze of the older woman's hand, she turned and made her way to the door, stopping to glance back. "Don't go down until you hear the door close, okay?"

When she received a nod from Beckett, she smiled once again and left after closing the door behind her. She hoped that this would all go well. She wanted her dad to finally be happy, and she knew Kate was just the person who could help with that. As she hurried down the stairs, she made her way quickly to where her dad stood in the dining room. Standing on her tip toes, she kissed his cheek and hugged him.

"See you later, dad."

"Love you, pumpkin."

With that smile that seemed to not want to go away, she turned and headed for the door with her Grams. Linking their arms together, she leaned into whisper into the older woman's ear.

"She looks so amazing. If dad doesn't get this right, we may have to kick him out and let her move in. Is that okay?"

When her Grams agreed with a nod, Alexis smirked and closed the loft door behind them. Tonight would be very interesting for the writer and detective.

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_I hope you all enjoyed this! The next chapter will probably be the last. As always, reviews are welcomed :3_


	5. Chapter 5

_This took me longer than usual to update, sorry! This story has been giving me trouble :x I hope this meets all of your expectations. If not, go write your own story ._. Hmph. Ignore the obvious awkwardness later in the story. Sexual scenes are not my forte._

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Nerves shook Castle to his core as he watched the loft door close behind his daughter and mother, leaving him alone with only the detective upstairs. His stomach was tied in knots, his mind working quickly to work out the mess. Smoothing down his shirt he made his way over to the windowsill and grabbed the matches, making his way over to the table to light the candles. He figured Beckett would come down when she was ready, which if she knew what was happening might be never.

Hearing footsteps on the stairs, he turned his attention to the noise and felt his heart stop. She looked.. gorgeous - no, more than gorgeous. His writer mind couldn't even think of a word to define it as his mouth fell open slightly, forcing air into his lungs.

"Wow," was all he managed to get out before placing the matches to the side.

He watched as the smirk reached her lips, her hand nervously going up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were a light red but he couldn't if it was from blushing or the make up that he assumed Alexis had put on her. Realizing she wasn't going to talk, he cleared his throat and stepped towards her.

"If you don't want to do this, I understand." The words tasted bitter as they came out of his mouth but he kept his voice steady and his face straight, knowing that it was the right thing to do. He didn't want her feeling like she had to do this just because Alexis had went through all this trouble.

"Castle-" She cut herself off, her eyes going to her feet.

This was one of those moments when he wished that he could crawl inside of her brain and see what she was thinking. He raised an eyebrow, indicating for her to go on.

"I would love a drink," she made her way to the bar stool before sitting down.

He tried to catch her eyes to attempt and see what she was thinking but she was carefully avoiding him, leaving him to move quietly to the refrigerator. Opening the door, he made to grab the wine before noticing a piece of paper lying beside it. Taking the paper and wine bottle, he headed back to where she was after grabbing two wine glasses. He glanced over the paper, his lips lifting into a smile.

"It seems we have rules," he told her with amusement in his voice as he held the paper up for her to read.

She took it from him, her eyes skimming over it quickly as her lips turned up as well. Leave it to Alexis to make rules for their date.

"She is definitely your daughter," she said quietly. "Except she has a better head on her shoulders."

"Har har har," he faked a laugh as he poured the two a drink.

"Number one: No talking about work. That one should be easy, I have no desire to talk about murders tonight." She scrunched her nose up, glancing at him as if to ask if he could abide to that rule. He nodded shortly at her, handing over her glass. She took it before returning her attention back to the paper. "Number two: Drink at least half the wine (Gram's rule)."

Beckett laughed, taking a sip of the wine. "Mmm, it's delicious." She closed her eyes for a moment before focusing on the rules again. "Number three: Forget that you're both scared and just live in the moment, please." Her eyes flashed to Castle for a moment, fear coursing through her as she swallowed hard. "At least she's polite about it."

"I told her to stay out of this," he grumbled as he made a face at the paper. "Not that she listens. According to my mother, she's just as bad as me but she covers it up better."

"I believe that," Beckett told him with a smile on her lips as she took another sip of her drink.

"Yeah yeah. What's that last rule there?" He craned his neck over the counter trying to get a better look, only to have her jerk it away from him with a grin on her lips.

"Number four: Relax, take your shoes off, listen to the music, have one too many glasses of wine.. and let the mood take you where it will (again, Grams rule - I swear, she made me right this)."

Castle choked on the mouthful of wine he had, closing his eyes as it burned its way down his throat. He really needed to sit down and have a talk with his mother. The coughing fit over, he pushed himself away from the counter.

"Those two are never to be left alone again after tonight," he nodded seriously as he took the bottle of wine and his glass, going around the counter and sitting next to her.

"If you did that, this would have never happened." She tilted her head to the side as her eyes studied him, slowly nursing the drink in her hand.

"That is true. Okay, I'm bugging my house. Cameras and microphones in all the rooms - even mine. I don't trust those sneaky little buggers."

She snorted into her drink, rolling her eyes at him. "You're going to spy on your mother and daughter?" When he nodded, she shook her head. "They'll find out, ya know? And then they will just do stuff to mess with you."

He frowned, knowing that she was right - Alexis and Martha were very smart, but when paired together.. He didn't even dare think about it right then. Remembering the music, he set his glass down and jumped up from the stool before hurrying away. It only took him a moment to hit the play button and find his way back to Beckett's side.

"Are you hungry?" That was a silly question. She had to be hungry, he knew for a fact that neither of them had eaten since lunch.

"Famished," she exaggerated the word as she allowed him to pull her to her feet.

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

"You so do not!"

"Oh, I do. Rebellion phase in my early years of being a published writer," he shook his head as she laughed.

"I don't think I believe you," she shook her head, her cheeks burning a fiery shade of red. She knew she had had one too many glasses of wine, and so had he. The first bottle was empty and they had moved from the table to the couch, a bottle of liquor sitting on the coffee table with two shot glasses. They had been playing a slightly altered version of 'have you ever' when they came across the current subject at hand.

"I can show you," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, excepting her to shut him down immediately.

Instead her eyes lit up while her smile grew bigger. "I won't believe you until you do."

She watched as his mouth dropped open, giggles taking over her body and forcing her to double over on the couch. She was not an easy drunk, they both knew that, and her giggling was a indicator at just how much they had drank.

At first the drinking had been to calm her nerves and help her relax but after a while they fell into their patterns and they drinking wasn't needed, just wanted. She liked how it made her open up with him, made her want to tell him more. The headache in the morning would be worth the progress that the two of them made tonight. He had tried, at one point, to put the alcohol away but after not a lot of persuasion he left it out.

"If just the idea of it is this funny, there's no way I'm showing you."

She could hear the pout in his voice as her giggles subsided and she slowly lifted herself back into a sitting position. Rubbing her cheeks for a moment, she looked up at him with a sheepish grin as she relaxed back into the cushions of the couch.

"Sorry, your face though. It was picture worthy." She nodded with a serious face before smiling innocently at him. "Please let me see your ass tattoo?"

He squinted his eyes at her, on the edge of the couch as if he was about to stand up. "All it says is-"

"Just show me, Castle." She gave him a pointed look, letting him know he wouldn't win this.

Resigned, he stood up and unbuttoned his pants before sliding them slightly down over his hips just enough so that she could see the tattoo on his left butt cheek. In clear print it said 'writer' just like it did on his vest that he wore when going to dangerous scenes with her.

"You weren't lying," Beckett said, trying to fight the laughter that was bubbling inside of her as he quickly pulled his pants back up and buttoned them.

"Why would I lie about that?" He quirked an eyebrow up at her as he placed himself back on the couch. "Your turn."

She froze up, having forgotten all about how she had avoided showing him the tattoo that was on her. Making him show her first had been part of the agreement though, so she made a face at him.

"That's not going to be easy with this dress on."

"We'll just have to get you out of it then." He gave her a mischievous grin, standing up. "Come on," he told her as he offered her his hand.

Her eyes studied him for a moment, knowing what would happen if she followed him. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, cause she did, but she was scared. If this happened and everything changed..

"Kate, stop thinking." He took her hand and tugged her up, surprising her.

Having taken her shoes off early after a near accident, she was considerably shorter than him now and when he pulled on her hand she went stumbling into him.

"Just because I've had a few drinks doesn't mean you're going to get me into bed, Castle." She warned him lightly, knowing there was no force behind her words. All he had to say was go and she would.

"What are you talking about? I just want to see your tattoo." He grinned at her and she went along with him as he pulled her to the stairs.

"I wasn't done drinking," she pouted as they climbed the stairs - an effort with the dizziness in her head.

"Oh, trust me. You were."

She could see him shake his head as he stopped in the hallway, obviously thinking.

"Are your clothes in Alexis' room or..?"

"Bathroom," she said shortly.

"Right. Now my next question," he said as he turned towards her abruptly. "Do you want to wear your clothes or would you like me to find something more comfortable? Because you are in no way driving yourself home so you are staying in the guest room."

She squinted her eyes and opened her mouth to argue with him but snapped it shut, knowing that he was right. Although she knew she could catch a cab, there was no point when she could just save her money and spend the night here - it was better than going home to her empty apartment.

"Fine," she said as she crossed her arms. "Comfy clothes."

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

"Kate, did you fall in?" He knocked on the bathroom door, tapping his foot impatiently. She had been in there for over ten minutes.

"No, Castle," he heard her voice getting closer to the door and before he knew it she threw the door opened and was suddenly in his face. "The damn dress got stuck and we fought. Obviously, I won."

He backpedaled his self out of her personal bubble, stopping once he was a safe distance away and took in her appearance. She was in a pair of his old sweat pants and a green cotton shirt she had insisted on wearing.

"I'm glad you won," he said with a smirk on his lips. "Can I please see your tattoo now?"

He could practically feel her roll her eyes as she lifted up his shirt, showing him just below her bra where the words 'keep fighting' were written in cursive. He didn't need to ask to know when she had gotten the tattoo or why, it was written all over her face. His eyes fell to her toned stomach, his own going crazy with emotions.

She must have felt his eyes linger because she quickly dropped the shirt, looking up at his eyes. The quiet in the hallway spoke volumes, the air between them burning with desire and need. The distance Castle had just put between them disappeared quickly as she threw herself into his arms and he pulled her closer, their lips clashing as her legs snaked around his waist.

Oxygen wasn't something he was worried about as her tongue darted across his lips and his mouth opened without consent, letting her in. His senses exploded as she tasted him and he tasted her in return, their tongue fighting for dominance. As her arms went around his neck and her fingers knotted in his hair, he started moving towards his bedroom.

He wasn't sure where this was going or what would happen but every single fiber in his body was telling him what he wanted. If the way her lips were working against his was any indication as to what she wanted, it was the same thing. As they made their way into his room he felt her hands wander down from his neck to his chest, unbuttoning his shirt.

It took her only a matter of seconds to have his shirt unbuttoned and discarded on the floor as he approached his bed. Making sure to catch most of his weight on his arm, he fell down onto the bed with her underneath him. He pulled his lips away from hers and made his way down her jaw line, traveling to her neck.

A quiet moan came from her lips as her nails found purchase in his shoulders, her body pressing up against his. What little will he had to stop was quickly slipping away causing him to falter in the assault on her neck. This caught her attention.

"Castle," she panted against his ear, her breath hot. "If you stop and ask me if I'm sure about this, I will shoot you."

He grinned, amused at the fact that she knew what he was thinking. With her permission now, his lips went back to the task at hand as he allowed himself to get lost in the moment.


	6. Chapter 6

**Any mistakes made are my own. I don't have a beta. Any OOC-ness is also mine.**

**Reviews make me a better writer. :3 hope you enjoy~**

**Oh, also. I don't own Castle.**

* * *

Kate inhaled deeply, the smell of men's cologne and some scent that she couldn't place at the moment filling her. Sleep left her as she stretched out, realizing a moment too late that she was on top of her partner when she felt his body respond to her moving against him. About to move off of him, she was caught by surprise when his arm slung around her waist.

"Morning," he muttered groggily.

Her eyes flew open and to his face, the grin on his lips bringing one to her own. She would be a liar if she tried to say that she wasn't nervous but a calm settled over her as she felt his finger moving in circles against her lower back.

"Good morning," she replied as she folded her hands under her chin, propping herself up on his chest and letting her eyes shut. She figured if he wasn't going to let her move, she might as well get comfortable.

Every being that was her was screaming at her to get up, to run. She needed to be halfway out the door by now, pretending that this had never happened. They were partners, they worked together everyday. Of course, this was all by his choice - but she couldn't lie and say she didn't like it or hadn't become accustomed to it over the years. She loved having someone there that could lighten things up and keep her out of that dark place she had went to once before. And though she wouldn't admit it even under oath, she knew deep down she loved him.

That was what scared her.

Feeling his eyes on her, she peeked out of the corner of her closed eye. He was doing it again. Staring at her like he did when he was worried about her or wanted to know something. Knowing that she would regret asking later, curiosity took hold of her.

"What?" She tried to asked sharply, her voice coming out weaker than she hoped.

"I'm waiting to wake up, or for you to and say that this was a mistake.."

She could hear it in his voice, the fear. That fear was because of her, that much she knew, and it ached inside her chest. Of course she was worried that this had been a mistake, that they had done all of this way too soon. She had stayed awake for almost two hours after they had exhausted their selves, dividing her attention between the sleeping man beside her and the ceiling. She had had several opportunities to get up and leave but she found herself incapable of moving. Realizing he was still waiting for her to say something, she stretched her fingers out over his chest.

"You are awake, this wasn't a mistake, but I am getting up and getting dressed before your family gets here."

When she tried to move off of him this time, he kept his arm in place - even tightening his grip as he looked up at her.

"You're not running?"

The vulnerability in his voice and eyes spoke volumes causing her to swallow hard as she shook her head. Leaning up slightly she brushed her lips against his before smiling at him, "No point in running - you'll just follow."

With that she slipped out of his grasp, taking the sheets with her and wrapping them around her body. Her eyes slowly traveled his naked body, her heart doing cartwheels as she forced her feet to move. Biting her lip, she tore her eyes away from him and quickly gathered the clothes he had loaned her last night from the floor. Not giving herself any chance to change her mind and crawl back into bed with him, she disappeared into the bathroom.

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

It took him a few minutes before he managed to drag himself out of bed, the burning of her stare still lingering on his skin. He could taste her on his lips, feel her all over him. Glancing over at the clock, he realized that Martha and Alexis would be home soon. He quickly picked up his discarded clothes from last night and threw them in the hamper before pulling a pair of boxers and some sweats from his dresser.

After changing into them, he found a plain white t-shirt to pull on before heading downstairs. He knew that the two of them would need to talk, preferably sooner than later, but he also knew that she would try to push that conversation away for as long as possible. He would give her a day, tops, before his own curiosity and self-perseverance would win out.

Humming to himself, he set about making dinner for his three favorite ladies. He had a feeling that Kate would try to slip out early but he had no doubt that Alexis could talk her into staying if she got there in time. When he heard the shower running upstairs, he grinned to himself knowing that it meant she would still be here when his daughter arrived.

As if in sync with his mind, the door swung open and revealed a sleepy looking Alexis.

"Morning pumpkin, you look tired."

"Grams kept me up all night," she shot him a glare as she clamored into the loft, taking a seat at the bar stool barely glancing at the dinner table.

"I see you didn't clean up your mess last night, does that mean she-" She cut herself off, turning her head slightly towards the stairs before returning her gaze to her dad with a big smile. "She stayed? She did. That's her. Right? In the shower? Or are you going through some midlife crisis about showers that I should know about?"

Castle laughed as he scraped the eggs out of the pan, setting them on a plate as he did the same with some bacon. Covering them with a paper towel, he set about making some toast.

"Maybe I'm having a midlife crisis," he teased her as he turned back towards her. The smile on her face had wiped away any trace of her being tired. "Wait, where is Grams?"

"Shopping," Alexis rolled her eyes. "She said she wouldn't buy anything though. I don't see how she does it. She's so old, she should be laying on the floor dead to the world."

She looked longingly at the floor for a minute before returning her attention to her dad, ready to hear the details that he would share with her.

"She stayed." He laughed as she pumped her fist in the air. "But that's all you get to know. Help me clean up real quick? I'll take the living room if you take the table."

She quirked an eyebrow up at him, glancing towards the living room. "What exactly happened last night?"

"Oh, that's for me to know and you to go to therapy about." He sent her a smirk as she shuddered before hoping down from the bar stool with her hands up in surrender.

"Lalalalala, I don't want to hear any more."

Taking the toast out, he put it on the plate with everything else before making his way around the counter. Figuring it was a good as time as any to let her know that he knew she had planned this, he went to her and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you," was all he said before disappearing into the living room.

**xxxxx0xxxxx**

Kate had showered and dressed, taking her time as the nerves starting to work against her once again. She was nervous, about all of it. She didn't want to go downstairs, she didn't want to face him or his family, she didn't want to face what they had done. She wanted to go and crawl back in his bed and surround herself with his smell and just stay there.

Ducking out of the bathroom, she found his bedroom empty and then heard the voices downstairs. Castle and Alexis were talking, about what she didn't know and didn't care to listen at the moment. Her hands were clammy as she paced his room, trying to talk herself into going downstairs. Having almost convinced herself completely, she opened the door only to be greeted with a squeal from Alexis. Curiosity taking control now, she made her way to the stairs.

Glancing downstairs, she found the teen hiding behind the dinner table trying to get away from her dad who was holding a spray bottle. Suddenly the red head stomped her foot and stood up straight, her hands going to her hips.

"This is no way to treat me after I set the date up last night."

She was in no way serious, just hoping to get her dad to back off. Castle stood there in shock for a moment before nodding, dropping his weapon down to his side.

"This is true, young grasshopper. Please accept my apology in the form of a hug."

Kate watched as he edged around the table, his arms opening for a hug. Alexis moved warily to him, eyeing the spray bottle in his hand. The detective had opened her mouth to call out a warning for the girl when her dad squirt her right in the first, earning another squeal from the teen.

"Dad!" She quickly scrambled around the other side of the table, running for the stairs only to stumble into Kate. Her eyes going wide, she hid herself behind the taller woman. "Save me, please."

Castle's eyes found hers at this moment as he slowly crept towards the two, the water bottle carefully stowed behind his back. Kate quirked an eyebrow up at him, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Do not even think about it," she said in a warning tone as she looked at him.

The grin on his lips did nothing to give her comfort as she stepped backwards, moving the younger girl with her.

"Castle, I mean it. Don't make me shoot you in front of your daughter."

A frown settled on the writer's lips as his head fell in defeat, knowing that he would only be in loads of trouble if he did what he had planned. Giving Beckett one last look, his eyes found his daughter's.

"I will get you one day, small friend."

With that, he turned on his heel and headed back to the kitchen. Suppressing a laugh, Beckett turned to look at Alexis would was staring after her dad like he had lost it. Shaking her head at him, she looked up at the detective.

"That is the last time I help him clean up," she told her seriously before smiling and launching herself at the taller woman with a hug.

Surprised, Beckett could do nothing but hug Alexis back. It was then that she realized the nerves had disappeared sometime when she had been standing on the stairs watching Castle and his daughter. Even now as she could feel his eyes on them, she couldn't help the smile that came to her lips. Pulling away from the redhead, she took her by the arms with a wicked grin on her lips.

"We should plan your revenge."


End file.
